Hi everyone, I'm travelling with Delta Airlines next month and have purchased a Basic Economy ticket to save money. I've seen conflicting information about seat selection. Could someone please clarify if I have the option to select my seat at check-in, or if the airline assigns it automatically? Also, do you have any tips for acquiring a better seat in this price class? Thanks!

If you wanted a better seat, then booking basic economy is not the way to go. As I understand it you can select seats when you check in but often by then any decent seats will already be taken. Plus as they state on their website - "We reserve the right to assign or reassign a Basic Economy seat at any time, even after boarding the aircraft . . . "

No, you will not be allowed to pick your seat, ever. The airline will assign it after you have checked in. You will get a seat nobody wanted, probably middle seat and towards rear. If the plane is half empty you could get lucky and get something better. The only tip is probably check in as early as possible.

I agree with the others...

Many other savvy travelers will also check-in exactly 24hrs ahead, and those that are able to select better seats will do so, including upgrades if they are eligibile. So the seat map can have more options for decent seats from which to choose.

I don't know if basic economy gives you the option to change seats once it's assigned. If it does, then the Delta app is very handy for making seat changes, and I have done that several times in the day leading up to departure. So it's not a bad idea to check back from time to time.

Also pay attention to the price for better seats - Delta has dynamic pricing - that is, the price for a better seat changes over time depening on supply vs demand. On a recent long haul trip I bought a full cabin upgrade (econ to Premium+) for much less than it was originally going for. Shortly before check in the price dropped a lot. I took a risk not getting the better seat but I could see that there were a bunch of better seats available so I rolled the dice. The $$$ was well worth it for me for a 14hr flight.

Options are very limited with Basic Economy ticket with Delta Airlines. Seats are assigned automatically for basic economy ticket holders and the process happens during check in or at gate. You can try your luck by check-in early, which opens 24 hours before your flight’s departure. You can also choose upgrade by paying a small fee. and the last option is you can ask the gate agent for better seats available. If the flight is not fully booked, you can get a good seat.